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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23425216">No Place Like Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patchworkcrows/pseuds/Patchworkcrows'>Patchworkcrows</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Enjoy my dumb bullshit guys I want it to be long but alas here we are..., Family Relationships - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Survivor Guilt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 10:03:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,099</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23425216</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Patchworkcrows/pseuds/Patchworkcrows</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>There's only so much that can be done with a bad seed. Ezlo spends the remainder of his days at the Four Sword Sanctuary, talking to the apprentice he wishes he could've helped. Oneshot.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>No Place Like Home</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Beyond the portal, Ezlo lets his warm smile fade away, his shoulders falling with all the weight of the world upon them. There's a boulder sitting soundly in his chest where his heart should be and the cause lies in that wretched sword he helped Link forge.</p>
<p>Vaati.</p>
<p>His dimwitted, naive, reckless, brainless, foolhardy, hormonal, impatient, insecure, power hungry-. </p>
<p>His apprentice. His ward.</p>
<p>His thoughtless young boy. He'd always been mature for his age. Maybe that's why Ezlo turned a blind eye on him so often - gave him too much freedom and not nearly enough guidance. Thought the boy was capable of deciphering right and wrong at a time he should have been looking to Ezlo for guidance. He was so harsh whenever Vaati made a mistake, forgetting the boy's age or how he truly was advanced.</p>
<p>Link and the Princess, wonderful children in their own right, had tried their hardest to assuage his worries. To reassure him that this whole mess was not his fault, that they could only blame Vaati for his actions. And that was true enough. Ezlo could not be blamed for treason or the attempts on Link's life, but had he not lit the fuse of the ticking time bomb that was Vaati, none of this would have ever happened in the first place.</p>
<p>And now there was nothing left to be done. His charge sat in an enchanted prison until he was either released, the spell broke, or the world was destroyed. And Ezlo could do nothing for him. He couldn't protect him even now when there was so little left to protect. </p>
<p>Everyone thought Ezlo was dead, beyond Link and Zelda, so it was a no brainer. There wasn't any sort of reason to return to the empty home where this whole mess had begun. He made himself comfortable in the sanctuary. Built himself a little house out of an old tree stump and spent most of his day sitting beside the base of the sword. </p>
<p>"I'm sure you're none too happy about your situation, but were you not trapped within that sword I'm certain you would enjoy the sanctuary." He says. His cane rests next to him as he takes out the tiny cloth bag he brought with him. "It's thriving with wildlife. So many of the flowers that grow here I recognize as the ones you used to enjoy. They make it easy to indulge in your sweet tooth." Ezlo pops a small round candy into his mouth.</p>
<p>He remembers the first time they traveled to Castle Town together. The way his apprentice's eyes had lit up with absolute delight at the bustling central. How he had tried to hide his excitement from Ezlo but it would seep out every few moments. Of course they had to be extra careful with so many Hylians around but the danger paled in comparison to the thrill of seeing so many of their kind together at once. They did a lot that day and Ezlo's wallets were all the lighter by the time they left. He had spoiled Vaati rotten. </p>
<p>They ate at a cafe where Ezlo learned for the first time that it really was true that any growing child could eat you out of house and home. They had visited tons of magic shops, Ezlo perusing the owner's wares for something in particular as Vaati wandered off on his own, returning with an armful's worth of Chuchu jelly. How Ezlo had told him they were just going to poke their heads into the bookshop for a moment before Vaati had spent an hour placing book after book in front of the merchant. Ezlo had spent a fortune on having everything delivered back to their home over the next month only for Vaati to have finished every book by the end of the year.</p>
<p>And their last stop, just a few minutes before closing, the sun starting to set. A sweets shop. Vaati had an awful love for candy and they had left the shop with just about one of everything. From then on, Ezlo would do his best to recreate some of the simpler desserts at home for the special occasion. He'd gotten quite good at making hard candies from the honeysuckles just a ten minute walk away from their home. It was one of the only things that was sure to put a smile on his apprentice’s face.</p>
<p>"I'd offer you one," Ezlo said around a mouthful of sugar, "but… I know, I know, it isn't nice to tease someone in your state.” He stared off into the distance, feeling all that guilt twist his insides further, and huffed as he gave his cane a rough tap on the ground. “You do deserve a bit a torment for your actions, though!” But it’s pointless. Logically, Ezlo knows he’s not to blame, but his heart won’t listen to his head. Even if it wasn’t his hand that twisted around Vaati’s and made him cast all those awful spells, it feels as if it was his very doing.</p>
<p>“This whole imprisonment thing is a bit extreme, though..." </p>
<p>He had hoped it was just a temporary solution. Save Zelda and Hyrule, get his body back, figure out what to do with Vaati. Clearly, a simple sentence to his room for a week wasn’t going to cut it. He obviously needed to be punished for his actions but for all of eternity within a sword? </p>
<p>Ezlo sighed and closed up the bag he'd brought with him. "Well… nothing we can do now, unfortunately. We'll just have to wait and see." He wasn't a young man, but Ezlo had something to live for so he'd do his best to survive for as long as needed. If he could see the day that the portal to the Hylian world opened again, maybe he could request an audience with the King and appeal for Vaati's release. </p>
<p>He wouldn't be able to take the boy under his wing, not for much longer at least, but hopefully the act of kindness would be enough to reform him. After all, Ezlo knew how hotheaded his apprentice could be. He doubted that this ‘Four Sword’ would teach him any sort of lesson. If anything, it’d likely only further fuel his aggression.</p>
<p>"Give it time, Vaati. Patience is a virtue. Not that you know much about that," he rolled his eyes. </p>
<p>He could feel the energy from the sword. Aggravation, exhaustion, ...relief. Ezlo smiled a little to himself. </p>
<p>"Alright then. Have I ever told you the time I almost became a realtor?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wanted to make this a long-form thing but I really can't think of how to continue it so figured I'd stop being greedy and get this the fuck out of my Google Docs. </p>
<p>Challenge to those who love Vaati/Minish Cap: write some hurt/comfort BS about Ezlo and Vaati making amends and hit me the FuCK up with it!!!! I need more Ezlo and Vaati content!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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